For Better or For Worse
by Red Bess Rackham
Summary: She could walk these halls in her sleep. She keeps coming, she keeps visiting, because she said "For better or for worse" and she meant it. AU, Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Don't own a thing. If I did I would not be on here posting recycled ideas with characters I did not make up.

**A/n:** Hello everyone! This is a two-part story (two chapters **_only_**) and so here is the first part. It might be a little predictable (especially the second chapter) and its not one of my best, but meh, some people might like it. Please gimme a review, I love them, long or short! And to the people (who know who they are) who have read the non-edited etc notebook version of this story: I strongly suggest reading it again (unless you hated it, lol), as I added a great many things (like you suggested, **Jedi Knight Bus**) and its better than it was before. Ok, enjoy!

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**Chapter 1**

Hermione made her way slowly through the hospital hallways of the sterile building after getting waved through by nurses she knew by name. She held her things close to her and no longer paused at any of the portraits hanging squarely on the wall. She could walk these halls in her sleep and name the portraits in order as she did so.

"Morning, Hermione. Been here long?" an older nurse named Alma asked, her gray hair slightly wavy.

"Morning Alma. No, just going." Hermione answered with a smile.

"Have a nice day then, hmm?" Alma clicked a stack of paper on the desk in front of her.

"You too."

Moments later she entered the wing set aside for long-term patients needing permanent care. She was no longer fazed by the strangeness that used to attack her whenever she arrived in this wing. She supposed that it must have been the odd reality of having to come every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, as well as every other Saturday that had struck her as so bizarre. Now it was so normal, more normal than breathing, that it never crossed her mind anymore how often she was coming to this particular wing at St. Mungo's.

"Ah, back again, I see." Trish, a pretty blonde nurse at the nurse's station on the way, grinned.

Hermione smiled warmly. "Always. How's he doing today?"

Trish shrugged. "Alright. Seems to have some wits about him today, at least."

Hermione sighed with relief. She hated coming in on bad days. "Good. See you later then."

"I'll be here. Oh, and Hermione?"

"Yes?" Hermione stopped and faced Trish.

"That movie we've been waiting to see is finally playing."

"The new one with Ewan McGregor?" The corner's of Hermione's mouth twitched upwards. Ewan was one of her favorites.

"Mm-hmm!" Trish made a slurping noise.

Hermione laughed. "What time?"

"Seven. Joe and Roxy are coming too."

"Ok, I'll see you then."

"Bye!" Trish waved and returned to her work.

Hermione also found that she rarely ever gave a thought to how odd it was that all of the friends she now hung out with were all from the hospital, and all of their husbands, fiancés, best friends, sisters, brother and so on. That was her circle of friends ever since "it" happened.

She was nearing the room which was her destination when a broad-shouldered yet pretty looking nurse emerged studying a clipboard intently. She shut the door gently behind her and then looked up as Hermione approached. "Oh, you are here today." Hermione nodded as the nurse, Marg, continued. "Healer Walgenbach is just giving him his shots and Healer Preece will be in around one to check on him."

"Oh dear." Hermione let out a small sigh. "He's usually not very happy after his shots."

Marg gave Hermione a sympathetic smile and patted her lightly on the shoulder before moving off to fulfill her other nurse duties.

Hermione sunk down into one of the chairs outside the room and dumped the things she'd been carrying into the chair next to her. She hated waiting. It only let her mind wander to places she did not want to go...

She rested her elbows on her knees and then slid her head into her hands. Without warning the events of that night, that ultimately led her to come to the hospital so often, played over in her mind like a film reel just waiting for the chance to play...

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Another battle during the war with Voldemort. Flashes of light everywhere. Chilling screams and peals of triumphant laughter alternately from both sides. One never turned to see who had screamed - who had fallen. For one split second of lost concentration or hesitation could result in you being the next one to scream. 

Hermione was crouched low behind an overturned desk, charmed so it was reinforced like steel. Somehow it struck her as ironic that some of the people across the room cursing her were her year-mates, though of course most of who those year-mates were was no surprise.

Pansy Parkinson was having a go at Hermione currently. Down the line, each fighting their own battles, were Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, Draco Malfoy, Pucey, Flint, Nott, Zabini, and more. There were others fighting too, some years older than herself, some a few years younger. Others she recognized, and many she did not. Most of the older fighters were too far right for her to chance a glance at their faces, however.

Sweating and panting, Hermione dropped behind the desk that had pretty well been her refuge for the past few hours. She needed a few minutes to recover, preferably get some fresh air, or she was sure she was going to faint. She looked over her shoulder and saw a window not too far away, though it was immediately apparent that the only way to open it was to kick it out.

Hermione grimaced and took a second to gaze down her own line of fighters, the ones fighting with their heart and soul in Dumbledore's name. She smiled weakly at the faces she could see: Ron, George, Ginny, Lupin, Tonks, Luna, Neville, Dean... there were many more - though not as many as there once was - but she could not see their faces from where she was.

Her gaze momentarily rested on the three fighters nearest her, Ron, Ginny and George, and she thought about how weird it was, even after so many weeks, to see George without Fred. Hermione sighed. Poor Fred. He'd been hit with three Unconscious Curses simultaneously and the Healers at St. Mungo's had still not been able to bring him out of a coma. Though she knew his fate was much better than others: Katie Bell, Lee Jordan, Colin and Dennis Creevey, Romilda Vane, Cho Chang, Seamus Finnigan, and more - too many more.

Ginny collapsed for a rest, and George continued to wearily but stubbornly curse the other side. Ron stood and threw a blue curse in the direction of Malfoy and Pucey, ducked, took a breath and stood again. He raised his wand and -

A brilliant orange flash streaked over him. He let out a cry and crumpled to the ground.

"Ron!" Her heart stopped beating. Staying on her stomach and using her elbows, Hermione scrambled over to Ron's side, her mouth dry as paper. She was suddenly finding it exceptionally hard to breathe. "Ron! Are you ok, Ron!"

For a second his eyes were glassy and she thought for sure he was dead. But in the next instant he made a gasping noise and clutched his arm, where Hermione now noticed was a massive gash, bleeding profusely.

"My arm!" he wailed. "Oh my - my arm!"

Ginny was deathly pale as she leaned close. "Ron! Ron... you're bleeding... Ron..." she began to tremble and looked up at Hermione with panicked eyes.

George was beside them in a flash. "We have to get him out of here!"

Hermione felt functional again at the look on Ginny's face. She would have to be calm for the both of them. She bit her own panic back hard, focussing on keeping the cool head she was greatly respected for. "To the window. Cover me." she said quietly.

Ginny looked scared and grim, but nodded numbly anyways. George gave her a tiny nudge and also nodded.

"On 3..." Hermione took a deep breath as Ron kept hollering about the blood coming out of his arm. '_Hold on Ron.'_ She thought, then counted, "1... 2... 3...!" She gave Ron a mighty heave and he yelled loudly in pain. Ginny conjured a shield to hold over them and moved with Hermione and wounded Ron. George jumped up and threw heavy curses over their heads as they moved as quickly and efficiently as possible to the nearby window.

Every time Hermione pulled, Ron shouted louder and more blood seemed to come out of his arm. Shortly, however, they reached the window and without hesitation Hermione kicked it out. Ginny did a quick spell to remove the broken glass and to remove any broken pieces still in the frame before Hermione climbed through, hauling Ron after her.

She pulled him several paces away from the building, especially out of view of the windows. Without a word, she began tearing strips off her robes and making a bandage for Ron. She thanked Heaven that her parents had convinced her to take a Muggle First-Aid course last summer.

Ron was sweaty and horribly pale, and as the seconds passed, he seemed to take on a greenish tinge, visible even under the full moon. He suddenly grabbed Hermione's arm. "Hermione... " his voice sounded choked. "I want you to know..."

She interrupted him. "Now, Ron? I have to put pressure on this to slow the bleeding and then Apparate you to St. Mungo's."

Ron swallowed and it seemed difficult. "Now." he paused. "I love you."

Hermione smiled. "I know. I love you too."

Through all his pain, Ron looked quite stunned and pleased, but like he'd known it all along and just had to hear it one more time. He managed a half-smile.

Hermione giggled in spite of their situation. "Don't look so surprised, Ronald Weasley. You think my wedding vows mean nothing to me?"

"Well..."

She didn't let him finish. She leaned in close and the two of them kissed soft and sweetly. When they pulled away, they smiled lovingly at each other.

Before Hermione could resume work on creating a make-shift bandage for Ron's arm, a very shrill, mocking voice rang out across the grass, causing both Ron and Hermione to jump. Hermione was instantly filled with anger.

"Well! If it isn't Granger and a Weasel _kissing_." Pansy sneered horribly. "Didn't know your standards were _that_ low. But then again, you are a Mud-Blood, so I assume the choices were very limited - "

"Shut up!" Hermione and Ron shouted.

Pansy just laughed. "I've been wanting to do this for a very long time..."

Hermione saw it coming, but she was an instant too late. Before she could grab her wand or snatch up Ron's pocketed wand, Pansy screamed out a spell.

"_Experiallmus!"_

Hermione and Ron's wands flew into the air and Pansy caught them then stuffed them deep in her black coat, laughing the whole time. She advanced on them, her wand out, and hollered an another spell.

"_Bindicio!_"

Hermione was thrown forcefully away from Ron to the right and landed hard, face down on her stomach. The wind was knocked right out her and as she tried to cath her breath, thick metal rings sprouted from the ground faster than she could blink. One wrapped over each wrist, effectively pinning her to the ground.

Pansy laughed maliciously once again and then turned her gleaming eyes to Ron. Ron shuddered under her frightening gaze, feeling severely vulnerable without his wand.

"Pay attention to the this, Granger, because you're next." Pansy raised her wand, laughed again, and then shouted, "_Crucio!"_

From there, everything fast, yet horribly slow. Pansy stood there sending damaging bolts of an Unforgiveable Curse into Ron's body and smiling the whole time. Ron screamed as he'd never screamed before, writhing and twisting in agony. Hermione screamed for Pansy to stop, screamed for help, screamed because what she was witnessing was absolutely horrible and she could nothing to stop it as buckets of tears poured down her face. It seemed to last forever.

Suddenly, when Pansy stopped to take a breath, there were hurried footsteps and someone yelled, "_Accio Broken Glass!" _

Pansy turned to look behind her and seemed angry. Not too far away, Hermione could see jagged pieces of glass come around the side of the building with crazy speed. The someone who had summoned the glass, who Hermione couldn't quite see, took a side step to the left so that Pansy was directly between the person and the broken glass.

Hermione gasped out loud, understanding what was going to happen, but unfortunately turning Pansy's attention towards Hermione. Pansy moved her hands to her hips and opened her mouth to say something, but Hermione would never know what. It was too late.

Hermione shut her eyes as tight as they would go and clenched her mouth shut. Pansy made a noise like the beginning of a scream and then the glass made contact with a sickening noise. Less than a second later, she fell to the ground, dead.

Her whole body shuddered and trembled as Hermione tentatively opened her eyes. She could see Pansy's form accompanied by the glass silhouetted in the moonlight and quickly looked away. No one should have to die in such away. She swallowed hard.

George was suddenly beside her and released her from her metal prison. Ginny attempted to help Ron up. George murmured that he had the two wands Pansy had taken. Hermione collapsed in George's arms sobbing her heart out. The three of them Apparated to St. Mungo's all holding tightly onto an unmoving Ron.

Hours later, a pinch-faced doctor had delivered a grim diagnosis: Ron, like Frank and Alice Longbottom so many years ago, had suffered the same fate. He was clinically insane.

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**A/n:** Well, there you have it. Liked it? Didn't like it? I don't care - review me anyways! Just no swearing please, and flames are pretty uneccessary. Stayed tuned for chapter two, coming asap:) 


	2. Chapter 2

A/n: Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate them. Here's chapter two, the last chapter, the end of this random thingy. BTW, Jedi Knight Bus, I did what you told me to (you'll know what I mean when you read it) and moony's number one, I fixed the bad sentences you fixed in my notebook. Thanks dudes. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 2

Hermione lifted her head and quickly wiped her eyes. She couldn't let Ron see that she'd been crying. It'd only upset him. She cleared her throat and blinked rapidly to dispel any trace that she had indeed been crying.

She sighed a moment later and her eyes dropped to the lovely yet simple gold and diamond wedding band around her left ring finger. She smiled reminiscently, thinking about seashells, blue water, brilliant flowers, grinning and teary guests, tasty food, funny or embarrassing speeches, and fun on the dance floor. It been a wonderful, perfect wedding...

"Oh, hello Hermione!" Healer Walgenbach emerged from Ron's room. "Good to see you. He'll be alright. Probably going to go to sleep shortly, I think."

Hermione stood. "Good news." she smiled politely at the Healer who smiled back, but not without a touch of knowing. He could tell she'd been crying. He gave her a small pat on the shoulder and then walked past her.

She gathered her things up quickly, checked in nearby mirror that she wasn't too red and puffy eyed, took a deep breath, and entered Ron's room.

There were no other occupants as Ron's care was best done when he was alone and there was only one other bed in the room anyways. For occasional overnight stays, Hermione would use the extra bed. The room smelled strongly of disinfectant and other hospital materials, with the faintest smell of chocolate.

"Morning sunshine." Hermione quietly sat in the cushy chair beside Ron's bed, placing her things on the floor.

Ron turned wide, vacant eyes to her and said nothing. His hair was not the flaming Weasley red it used to be. Instead, it was mostly gray with strips of a dull rust color here and there, giving the appearance of a dye job gone wrong. His skin was more pale than it used to be. His face was far less full, and his freckles somewhat faded. All together, it only added to the appearance of a ghost. He looked at least ten years older than he really was.

Hermione reached down to the objects she'd brought with her and produced a chocolate frog. By his reaction to the chocolate or object she gave him, she could sometimes gauge how good or bad of a day it was going to be.

"Chocolate, Ron?" she held out her hand and offered it to him.

His wide, dim eyes slowly moved from Hermione's face down to her hand. He stared at it for a moment and Hermione's heart sunk. Then he slowly took the package and moved it to his lap.

With his mouth slightly open, Ron turned an unblinking gaze back to Hermione, as though he was quite unsure of what to do next with the colorful package in his lap. Hermione was used to this and no longer burst into tears when he didn't know how to open his favorite candy.

"You open it, sweetie, and eat it." Hermione said and reached over to open a corner for him. "You'll like it, trust me."

He seemed to finally understand and began opening the chocolate frog carefully. Hermione watched with her heart low in her chest. Today was either going to be a difficult day or a very short visit.

Ron coughed loudly and fully unwrapped the chocolate frog. He ate it slowly as if he'd never tasted it before, though he seemed to very much enjoy it.

Hermione reached down into her pile of things and produced a juice box. "Saw Lavender Brown in the grocery store yesterday. She asked me how you were doing." Hermione opened the plastic that bound the straw and then poked the straw into the silver hole on the top of the juice box. "I told her you were improving." she handed the juice box and smiled weakly.

Ron took the juice box gingerly and made a quiet, indistinct noise that sounded somewhat like "Lav-der". He blinked the slowly began sucking on the straw, seeming vaguely surprised when liquid entered his mouth from the straw.

"Do you remember Lavender?" Hermione studied Ron for a moment and he made no indication that he even heard her let alone recalled in his sixth year when his favorite hobby had been making out with Lavender. Hermione sighed. "She said to tell you she's happy and that she will try to come visit someday."

Ron blinked again, and when he blinked, one eye was slower than the other, making him look very odd indeed. He sucked the juicebox dry then handed it to Hermione. She toseed it into the small recycling bin in front of the might table beside the small garbage can.

"Apparently Parvati and Dean finally got engaged. About time, really. They've been dating, what, seven years now?" she paused and looked at Ron for confirmation though she expected none. "Yes, seven years seems about right. Neville and Luna got engaged a week after Parvati and Dean started going together." Hermione handed Ron a colorful plastic ring to play with, though at the moment he seemed quite pleased just to listen to Hermione talk.

"Seven years... has it really been that long?" She looked at Ron tenderly. He had a vague smile on his face. "We graduated from Hogwarts seven years ago. Wow. Its amazing how times flies." she sighed and continued. "So then that means its been five years since we got m - er, I mean, since we got my ring. And a little over four years since you - since we moved you here, I mean."

Ron blinked that funny slow blink and then pushed his chocolate frog wrapper and remains off his bed. He abruptly went from a sitting position to a snuggled down laying position on his left side, his back now to Hermione.

Hermione sighed again. "Short visit today, then, huh?" she said quietly.

Ron grunted and shut his eyes.

Hermione nodded to herself and scooped up the discarded wrapper and half-eaten chocolate from the floor. She tossed it into the garbage can and gathered her things together.

Some days he just wasn't in the mood for a visit, and it seemed today was one of those days. Although slightly disappointing, because she knew she'd be bored at home, it was perfectly fine. Today was a Friday and she'd be back tomorrow.

"See you tomorrow, Ron." she said and headed for the door. When her hand was on the doorknob, she heard something that made her stop dead in her tracks.

"_Someday... when I'm awfully low..._" Ron sang in a sort of whispery tune. His eyes were still shut, and he still had that vague smile on his face. "_I will find a glow... just thinking of you... and the way you look... tonight."_ The rest of the song he hummed quietly to himself.

It wasn't that he had sung nor that he was humming the rest that had made her freeze. Sometimes he would suddenly sing a few lines and hum the rest of a song, just for no reason at all. And it wasn't that the song was basically the theme in the movie "My Best Friend's Wedding". Part of what made her stop dead was the song Ron had chosen: "The Way You Look Tonight" by Tony Bennett.

It was their wedding song.

Hermione's eyes filled with tears but she blinked them away quickly. She had to be strong. '_And besides,'_ she thought. '_It's not as if he has any idea the significance of that particular song. He's just singing a song.'_ Somehow, that didn't give her any comfort.

She left the room with no trace of extra moisture in her eyes, briefly chatting with some of the nurses and leaving things to keep Ron busy when he woke up until her next visit.

It wasn't until she was back in her home, surrounded by memories and pictures that she collapsed on the couch and let her tears slide silently out. Some days were like this, where she felt exceedingly sad or frustrated or whatever. She looked absently over her shoulder at a large picture of a brunette in a flowing white dress kissing a flaming red-head in a stark black tux as they danced to a certain Tony Bennett song. He may not realize the significance of the song, but she did.

And it truly broke her heart to know there was little chance he ever would.

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She knew the nurse rotation as well as anyone who actually worked there. To anyone in the hospital who didn't know her personally, they just assumed she _must_ work there, for she was there so often.

"Morning Kathy." Hermione greeted the nurse at the front - the Saturday morning front reception nurse.

"Oh, hello Hermione!" she said enthusiastically as usual. "Hope all goes well!"

"Thanks!"

Hermione reached the floor she was looking for and headed down the same hallways as yesterday, still not interested in any of the same old portraits.

"Hey Hermione."

"Hello Sue." Hermione addressed a tall, broad woman who had been at the hospital for the last month and a half. "How's Barney?"

"Not bad, not bad at all." she said in a croaky voice that was quite expected to come with her very white hair. "Still got tests to do on him. But he's over the pox, anyways."

"Good to hear! Where are you off to?"

"Ah, just headin' to get a bite to eat. Got here at seven, and its ten now, and I haven't eaten yet." Sue paused briefly. "How's Ron?"

"Don't know yet. I was juts on my way to see him."

"Ah, well, good luck then!"

"Thanks. See you later Sue. Say hi to Barney for me."

"I will. And same to Ron." Sue winked. "Bye then."

Just as she was in front of Ron's door, Healer Walgenbach emerged, just like yesterday, though this time he had not been in Ron's room administering shots.

"He's looking chipper today, Hermione."

"Glad to hear it." Hermione smiled widely with relief.

"Have a nice stay - oh!" Healer Walgenbach had just begun down the hall to see his patient when he stopped and turned around. "Lunch special in the cafeteria today is lasagna. AND, at our combined, heartfelt requests, Myrna has agreed to serve bread sticks this time as well as the plain ol' garlic toast."

"Ooo!" Hermione rubbed her hands together and her tastebuds cheered at the thought. "Sounds exquisite!" she laughed. "I'll be sure to check it out. Thanks Neil."

"You're welcome." He winked and saluted her in a friendly manner and continued on his way.

Hermione walked straight to her chair beside Ron's bed and sat down, greeting him usual fashion. "Morning sunshine." she smiled brightly and Ron turned his face to hers and blinked. As Healer Walgenbach had said, Ron appeared more "chipper". It looked like there was color in his face than the other day, his eyes didn't seem so excruciatingly wide or dim, and overall he just seemed more alert.

Hermione dug into her coat pocket just before taking it off and produced a purple package. "Here Ron. I thought we'd try something new today." she pressed the package into Ron's already outstretched hand. She didn't give him candy every day, of course, it just happened that he got it two days in a row this week. "I bought them in a Muggle candy store. They're called 'Skittles'."

Ron immediately tore open a corner of the package and let a pink candy fall into his hand. He glanced at the candy and then at Hermione, though it wasn't like yesterday when he wasn't sure what to do. It seemed more like he was waiting for her to have one too.

Hermione reached over and tipped a blue one into her hand. "Just pop it into your mouth and chew." she said unnecessarily as she popped hers into her mouth.

Ron followed suit. He pulled out another pink one, a ed and a green and ate them altogether, delighted by the taste sensation in his mouth. Midway through chewing the candy, Ron stopped and dipped his head so low his chin rested against his chest. He shut his eyes.

"What is it honey?" she asked softly.

Still with his eyes closed, Ron's forehead crunched up in concentration or frustration - she didn't know which - and he let go of the Skittles package in his hand to clench and unclench his fists slowly.

Suddenly he started to cough loudly and harder than normal and Hermione didn't know what was going on. Was he choking? He was coughing violently and she thought maybe she ought to call for a nurse or healer. As soon as she stood to push the emergency button to summon a nurse, however, Ron's coughing stopped abruptly.

She sank back down in her chair and saw his hands holding onto his bed covers for dear life. He breathed heavily and she said nothing for several seconds. He swallowed hard a few times, and then his eyes fluttered open as if he was just waking up.

"R-ron?" Hermione's voice quivered and she tentatively reached her hand out towards him.

He stared down at his half-open Skittles package. "Her...bi...nee?" he said her name slowly, his voice cracked and raspy like he had spoken in a very long time, like he had a stuffed nose, and like he had finally remembered something he had been meaning to say for a very long time.

"Hermione?" he said again, the stuffed nose sound gone, but the rest the same. He turned his face towards Hermione as he said her name the second time.

"W-what...?" she said, her whole body trembling.

His eyes were no longer wider than usual. There was color tinting his cheeks. The vague smile had been replaced by a normal, curving mouth. His eyes had a special warmth and sparkle to them, a warmth that told her immediately she had _her_ Ron here with her now.

"Hermione!"

"Oh Ron!"

Without further hesitation they kissed and embraced in a bone-crushing forever loving hug. Tears of joy streaked down Hermione's cheeks. Moments like these were so few and far between that almost always nearly forgot what they were like until they happened again. She couldn't even remember the last time this had happened.

Ron stroked her hair. "Oh Hermione... I missed you so much."

She knew exactly what he meant. "I missed you too."

"Everyday, I can see you... but it's like I'm a spectator. I can't even control my own pinky finger. You can't know how horrible it is to see you there hurting underneath your cheery mask and be completely unable to do or anything about it."

She squeezed him tight. "I know." she whispered, though she of course did not.

"Let me look at you properly..." They broke apart but still held hands. Ron's eyes ran over every detail of her face, and although once this action had made her uncomfortable, it did not now. He swallowed and she could see the shine of tears suddenly appear in his eyes. "I don't know why you keep coming." he said.

"Oh, Ron! How could you not know?" she held up her ring finger for him to examine.

He stared at it hard, and it was apparent he was trying desperately to ferret out the meaning of the ring on her finger from his foggy memory. He stopped trying and grasped her hand instead, clearly disappointed he couldn't understand the meaning of the ring. "You can't leave, you know. You don't have to keep coming back. You could go have a life instead of seeing me every day."

"Oh, _Ron!_ How could you think such a thing? I would never, _ever_ even _consider_ leaving you!" She could feel her own tears rising to the surface. "I never would. I said 'for better or for worse', Ron. I said it and I meant it."

He nodded, squeezed her hands and then glanced at the night stand where there a lay a large picture frame face down. "What's that?"

Hermione let go of one of his hands to set the picture up properly. "Us."

Inside the frame was a younger version of Ron, still sporting the famous flaming red Weasley hair, grinning from ear to ear and looking very handsome in a pressed black tuxedo. In his arms was a younger version of Hermione, her hair done up in a flowery up do, smiling as wide as her cheeks would allow. Her white dress was hanging over Ron's arms and still nearly touching the sandy ground. The ocean behind them moved slowly in and out as Ron twirled Hermione around, and she laughed animatedly, her veil swirling neatly behind her.

"Our wedding..." Ron breathed and memories and realizations seemed to suddenly bombard him. "The ring..." he said and looked at Hermione's hand, then back at the picture.

Hermione nodded and her tears finally spilled over. Ron brushed them away with his thumbs. "Don't leave me here. Don't go where I can't follow." Hermione choked.

"Oh, gosh, Hermione. I wish I wouldn't... I wouldn't if I could help it." he placed his hand on her cheek and she put her hand over his. "You know that."

"I know."

They kissed.

"I love you more than anything and know that I will always come back to you from time to time. I will come back as often as I can." he swallowed the emotion clogging his throat. "Know that you are the most beautiful woman in the world and I wouldn't trade our time together for all the Galleons in the world."

"Me neither!" Hermione interjected quickly, the tears rolling across her cheeks.

"Know that." he whispered, then softly began to sing. "_Someday... when I'm awfully low... I will feel a glow... just thinking of... you. And the way you look... tonight..."_

They just held each other for a second or two before Ron suddenly began to cough. "It's c-coming back..."

Hermione hiccoughed. "No, Ron... don't..."

"I love... you..." He slowly moved back away from her and his left hand fell to his lap. He coughed and blinked and his eyes moved in and out of focus. "Love..." He started clenching and unclenching his fists.

Hermione sat back towards her chair, but first put her hand on his chest. "I will always be here, Ron. I love you too. I'm never leaving."

He shut his eyes and his throat briefly constricted. He gri this teeth and then moved his head, low enough that his chin was resting against his chest. He began coughing violently and Hermione knew he was leaving for a very long time. She hurriedly sat back in her chair and wiped all the tears from her face. She took several steadying breaths, holding the memories of what had just happened vividly in her mind, alongside the knowledge that it was it over for the time being.

Ron opened his eyes and they were unusually wide. His whole body relaxed and the vague smile crawled back onto his face. The color that had been there before was suddenly non-existent. He returned to eating his Skittles as if nothing had happened, seeming not even to notice Hermione's presence. He munched on several Skittles contentedly before Hermione spoke.

She put the picture on the night stand face down and smiled as best as she could. "I that good, sweetie? Well, I'll be right back. Don't you go anywhere."

Ron seemed somewhat surprised to see Hermione and watched her back as she left the room before making a shrugging motion and returning to his Skittles package.

Hermione fairly dashed out of the room, almost bumping head on into Healer Preece, the afternoon healer. She mumbled a quick apology and sped walked quickly for the nearest women's washroom.

What she didn't see, hear or notice about the Healer she had just narrowly missed colliding with, was the small sympathetic smile and quiet comment. She was already too far down the hall.

"Well," Healer Preece smiled. "If there isn't hope after all."

Healer Preece told no one of the scene he heard seconds before Hermione came bursting from Ron's room. He had heard everything from Ron and Hermione's first real embrace all the way to Hermione's hasty exit, and he felt two things strongly. The first being that there was hope after all, and the second being, that there was no greater love that he knew of, then the one he had just witnessed.

He stared at his clipboard and the hand written text underneath the name, "Ronald Weasley" and the words "Condition: Insane". The text under these two things read, "_Tortured to madness. No chance of medical recovery, nor recovery of memories, life, proper speech, etc." _

"You alright?" June, the afternoon Saturday nurse asked as Healer Preece walked dreamily past.

"Oh sure." he smiled as tears glazed his eyes. "I just never thought I'd witness a miracle."

June glanced at the oddly behaving Healer, shook her head and returned to work.

In the women's bathroom, Hermione let herself cry quietly and the whole scene with Ron just moments ago seemed to echo in her mind. After her tears had stopped, she leaned against the side of the bathroom stall and somehow felt the need to whisper to the stalls as if _her_ Ron was somehow listening.

"For better or for worse, Ronald Weasley. I said it and I meant. I will always be here, waiting for you to come back to me."

Some time later, she returned to Ron's room, her eyes no longer red and puffy from her crying. She would treasure the rare moments with _her_ Ron that she was granted and use them to keep her going until he could come back again.

_For better, or for worse..._

**THE END

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A/n: Ok, so it kind of turned into a "The Notebook" rip-off. It just sorta happened that way. You know how it is. Anyways, hope everyone liked it. Leave me a review, tell me what you thought, and I don't even care if all you write is "good", "bad" or "meh". Its a review, I'll take it. Lol.

For my regulars: _Hermione's Parallel Universe_ is being updated right next (as in five minutes if possible and if not then tomorrow morning for sure) and after that is _If Diggory Hadn't Died_, which is nearly its final chapters.


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